Category: Week 19

Hello everyone! Well I think fall is officially here…and it feels a little shocking after Monday’s heat, but it is October after all. Stephanie is fighting off a bug so this is Jennifer with your weekly produce list and your meal ideas.

With the holiday closure on my shop day this week and a busy work week ahead, we’ve been going vegetarian for the week on most meals. In this vegetarian shepherds pie I used more rutabaga than potatoes in the potato part and the kids didn’t even notice! Plus, I used up leftover carrots and mashed rutabaga from thanksgiving dinner!

Slowly I’m feeling for you who have food allergies or children with them. Never before was I aware. We went to a birthday party where my poor toddler son had to watch all the other kids eat pizza while he munched on snack foods. He has snuck forbidden foods when I turn my head for a second, or from relatives that are equally oblivious to the presence of gluten and milk in virtually everything prepackaged. I think the new dietary restrictions may be helping, though it’s early to tell. Eating well is sure not about instant results. At least I have a fresh start with my two young kids- as many of you do. I’m already noticing the benefit of an added sensitivity to others’ dietary needs. Now I can offer guests alternatives and leave the welcome mat open a little wider.

I hope everyone feasts this weekend with gratitude for the abundance we all enjoy and the others around your table. When you’re doing dishes for a gazillion people, grab a partner, reminisce a little, and remember, each dish represents someone dear to you whose company you have for another year.

Greetings all! This week is the last week for those who receive their order every second week since June 15th (odd weeks). So, if it is your last week, thanks for supporting our farm through our csa box.

Hopefully you discovered a new vegetable favourite and some recipes that make your mouth water when a new vegetable comes in season. While many of the winter vegetables I was anitipating have been taking their time to be ready (celery root) or not looking so good (brussels sprouts), everyone will get either Jerusalem artichokes or parsnips this week. There are two different recipes in this post for parsnips, and the Jerusalem artichokes make a great substitute for potaotes in mashed potaotes or in shepherd’s pie. They also make a delicious creamy soup. Here is your list:

Savory Tempeh and Vegetables (vegetarian main dish) from “Simply in Season”
I have not been able to make this yet because I need to shop for some tempeh. I was excited to find a recipe using carrots, parsnips, squash, green onions, sage and garlic (you may have some left over). While I am not one to tout soy products, tempeh is more nutritious and less processed than tofu, and if you can find organic, then it will not be made from GMO soy.

Directions
1. Melt butter and olive oil in oven-safe pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add seaweed, garlic, ginger root and herbs and sautee 2 minutes.
2. Arrange tempeh on a layer on top.
3. Whisk water, soy sauce and maple syrup in a small bowl and pour over tempeh.
4. Layer onions, squash, parsnips and carrots in that order on tempeh.. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Cover, and bring to a boil. Transfer to preheated oven and bake at 400 degrees until vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.
5. With a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables and tempeh into a serving bowl. Drain back any juices into the dutch oven and place over medium heat.
6. Combine cold water, soy sauce and arrowroot powder or cornstarch and mix until dissolved. Whisk into the juices. Simmer, stirring constantly until sauce thickens. Pour sauce over the tempeh and vegetables. If desired, gently fold in 2 thinly sliced green onions. Serve immediately over rice or bulgur.

Directions
1. Combine oats, cashews and flour in a medium bowl. Mix in oil and rosemary with fingers to form a crumble topping. Set aside.
2. Steam root vegetables for 10-12 minutes until just tender. Reserve the steaming water for stock. Transfer vegetables to lightly oiled 2 L baking dish.
3. In a large saucepan, saute onion in 2 tsp. oil until soft, 4-5 minutes. Stir in milk and vegetable broth. In a cup mix flour with a little milk to make a smoothe paste. Stir into saucepan. Add rosemary. Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper. Cool sauce slightly, then puree until smooth. Pour over steamed vegetables, then sprinkle with oat topping. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Here is a list of the goodies in the boxes this week – there are definitely some soups to be made this week, and we finally have celery (I have been waiting for it to be ready for weeks).

I intended to have garlic for everyone, but the plants met an unfortunate end with a tractor so we will have to settle for garlic chives (which are wonderfully flavourful and nutritious as well). We purchased some larger bulbs and planted them for next year (larger bulbs yield larger crops).

So, as the barometre drops, things are beginning to slow down on the farm. There are fewer and fewer late nights and many of our migrant workers are going home this week. It is a little saddening but at the same time the change in seasons is a truly wonderful thing about our great nation.

The farm does not shut down entirely in the winter. Those later months are spent preparing countless bags of beets and carrots and finding a home for the remaining cabbage and squash (they are stored in giant bins stacked up in our building).

But, there are still things being harvested out in the fields. I know a lot of you mentioned our broccoli was sometimes affected by worms (and that was after painstakingly picking through to find the best ones) but I think you will find the broccoli this week to be the best yet. Prehaps the frost is doing us a little favour in killing off the pests, because the broccoli really does look lovely this week.

Thanks to those who have already returned your survey – I really appreciate it. Remember, you can also return it on the last week after which I will be announcing the winner of the draw. Only one week left – enjoy!